1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments relate to an adhesive composition suitable for producing an anisotropic conductive film (hereinafter, also referred to as an ‘anisotropic conductive film composition’ or simply as an ‘ACF composition’) and an anisotropic conductive film using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Adhesives have been used extensively in various application fields, including electrical and electronic devices. Various adhesives in the form of films are currently used to provide better processability in the fabrication of electric and electronic devices.
Adhesives in the form of films for circuit connection may be broadly classified into non-conductive films (NCFs) and anisotropic conductive films (ACFs) based on the absence or presence of conductive particles. The anisotropic conductive films generally refer to films in which conductive particles such as metal particles, e.g., nickel (Ni), copper (Cu) or gold (Au) particles, or metal-coated polymer particles are dispersed.
An anisotropic conductive film may be positioned between circuits, followed by heating and pressing under specific conditions to electrically connect the circuit terminals through conductive particles. An electrically insulating adhesive resin may be filled in a space between the adjacent circuit terminals to render the conductive particles electrically independent from one another. The resin may insulate the conductive particles. Generally, anisotropic conductive films are widely  used for the electrical connection of LCD panels or printed circuit boards (PCBS) and tape carrier packages (TCPs).
A typical adhesive composition used to the form a film may include a film-forming polymeric binder resin and a curing system that is cured upon exposure to energy, e.g., heat or UV, to make a connection structure hard. The anisotropic conductive film composition may further include conductive particles and one or more additives to obtain better physical properties.